Fast Facts

The Director of IT Platform Engineering will spearhead the development and scaling of an advanced cloud infrastructure, emphasizing strategic direction, security, and operational excellence in a collaborative environment.

Responsibilities: Lead the strategic roadmap for cloud platform engineering, manage cloud infrastructure on GCP, collaborate with security teams to meet compliance, develop budget, and foster a high-performing engineering team.

Skills: Expertise in public cloud services (GCP preferred), Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, and DevSecOps principles. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills are essential.

Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field required, with preference for an advanced degree. A minimum of 10 years IT experience and 8 years in leadership focusing on cloud engineering is required.

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Compensation: $145900 - $200000 / Annually

The IT Director of Platform Engineering will lead our team in building and scaling our next-generation platform. This role is critical to our continued growth and will be responsible for the strategy, execution, and ongoing operations of our cloud engineering, DevSecOps platforms, compliance automation, and core infrastructure. This role requires a strong leader who thrives in a collaborative, shared responsibility environment, partnering closely with development, security, and compliance teams to deliver secure, reliable, and scalable solutions.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership
• Define and execute the strategic roadmap for cloud platform engineering in alignment with organizational objectives.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to ensure platform solutions meet business and technical needs.
• Cloud Engineering:
• Oversee the design, implementation, and management of our cloud infrastructure (primarily on GCP).
• Drive cloud optimization initiatives, including cost management, performance tuning, and security hardening.
• Champion cloud-native architectures and best practices.
• Platform Development
• Lead the development and enhancement of cloud infrastructure platforms, focusing on scalability, security, and cost optimization.
• Drive the adoption of best practices in cloud-native architecture and DevSecOps methodologies.
• Compliance & Security:
• Partner with security and compliance teams to ensure platform adherence to industry regulations (e.g., SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR) and internal security policies.
• Implement automated compliance checks and security controls. Champion a "security-first" mindset within the platform engineering team.
• Team Leadership
• Build and manage a high-performing team of cloud engineers and architects.
• Promote continuous learning and skill development to stay ahead of industry trends.
• Manage relationships with key technology vendors, negotiating contracts and ensuring service delivery meets expectations.
• Develop and manage the platform engineering budget, optimizing resource allocation and maximizing ROI.
• Collaboration and Governance
• Work closely with the Cloud Governance Team to ensure compliance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with other CCoE streams, including Cloud Business Office and Cloud Onboarding, to deliver cohesive cloud solutions.
• Innovation and Enablement
• Explore emerging technologies to continuously improve the organization’s cloud capabilities.
• Enable development teams with robust, user-friendly platforms for cloud-based deployments.

Job Skills:

• Expertise in public cloud services (e.g., GCP, AWS, Azure), container orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes), and CI/CD pipelines. (Preference for Google Cloud Platform)
• Strong understanding of cloud security frameworks and regulatory compliance.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage large-scale cloud initiatives.
• Strong experience with DevSecOps principles and tools.
• Experience with cloud financial management and cost optimization strategies.
• Certifications in cloud platforms (e.g., Google Professional Cloud Architect, AWS Solutions Architect).
• Experience with infrastructure automation tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible).
• Knowledge of security and compliance frameworks (e.g., SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR).
• Visionary leadership with a focus on innovation.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities.

Work Experience:

• 10+ years of relevant IT experience
• 8+ years of experience in IT leadership, with a focus on cloud platform engineering, preference for Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

Other:

• Must be able to travel occasionally should a business need arise. For most roles travel would not be common. Travel may involve plane, car or metro. In accordance with ADA policies, reasonable accommodations regarding travel limitations can be provided. Travel will be more common for roles such as Account Executives (25 - 50%), senior leaders (10 – 20%) or Capella Core Faculty (5 – 10%). 
• Ability to work onsite in Corporate or Campus location (in a typical office environment) may be required based on role. If so, this would include being mobile within the office, including movement from floor-to-floor using elevators or stairs.
• If offsite or hybrid role, must have access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at a remote location.
• Faculty and Federal Work Study roles require access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including computer, privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at a remote location.
• This role may require lifting, however reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with our ADA policies.
• Must be able to meet critical thinking and problem solving aspects aligned to job duties, as well as effectively communicating with co-workers.
• Must be able to work more than 40 hours per week when business needs warrant. Accommodations related to schedule may be considered. 
• Able to access information using a computer.
• Other essential functions and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

#LI-JD1

$145,900.00 - $200,000.00 is the expected starting pay for this position. This offer is based on current budgetary guidelines and the additional factors outlined below.

SEI offers a comprehensive package of benefits to employees scheduled 30 hours or more per week. In addition to medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans, SEI employees may take advantage of well-being incentives, parental leave, paid time off, certain paid holidays, tax saving accounts (FSA, HSA), 401(k) retirement benefit, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, tuition assistance as well as entertainment and retail discounts. Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay, if applicable.

Careers - Our Benefits, Strategic Education, Inc

SEI is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture where individuals can grow their careers and contribute fully. We strive to attract talent with broad experiences, skills and perspectives. We welcome applications from all. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top end of the pay range at SEI, we offer a competitive salary. The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate may vary depending on multiple factors including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, and internal pay equity. Our Talent Acquisition Team is ready to discuss your interest in joining SEI. The expected salary range for this position is below.

$145,900.00 - $218,900.00 - Salary

If you require reasonable accommodations to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at Careers@strategiced.com.